Cayuse is Live

Have to recognize how reasonable the folks at Cayuse have been on pricing over the years. I started buying the wines starting with the 2003 vintage. The two Syrahs I started with were $40 a bottle. Now 14 vintages later (2017 being live), they have only gone to $80 a bottle…even with the incredible scores over the years. Thank you Cayuse!

In for a 3-pack of Cailloux!

As an aside, curious about wait-list durations. How long now? I think I was on it for 8-ish years before I got “the letter” last year for the 2016 vintage…

2016 WALLAH WALLAH SPECIAL
2017 IMPULSIVO
2017 CAILLOUX
2017 CAMASPELO
2017 EN CHAMBERLIN
2016 GOD ONLY KNOWS

My allocation this year. They’ve added a new 3 pack just about every year. Kind of annoyed that none of the 3 major review sites have posted timely reviews of these wines or the vintage in general. I have nearly 60 bottles of Cayuse in the cella and that’s not from a lack of drinking them. Trying to be more discriminating in my purchases but would really like to get the Pig and the Frog and Armada. If I pass on the Camaspelo and Grenache will that keep that from happening? Anyone know anything about the vintage? Love the wines and the value but those yellow boxes are starting to reach the ceiling.

I’ve passed partially in the past and still got a new wishlist… getting frogged is more to do with luck tho i think…

Dropped GOK last year and was added Impulsivo on wish list, so you shouldn’t have to keep buying everything to still seem interested in other wines




Be drinking these since around 2002-ish and without a doubt, the Impulsivo is my favorite of the stable with the Armada in a solid silver medal position. The Impulsivo also sports one of my favorite bottle labels as well.

I agree about the Impulsivo. Year after year, this has been my favorite of the Cayuse stable, including at their release parties in April. The label design is also stellar- more sophisticated than the Frog while still being visually strong and memorable. From Randall Grahm’s speech, a perfect match of graphics and contents!

Just signed in and I was added Frog finally after 8 years. With Armada, Impulsivo and Frog I’m pretty happy and will probably just ask for Pig from here on out.

I get En chamberlin, Frog, GOK and Edith. Not sure I will keep buying en chamberlin or Edith going forward.

Still have not cracked this nut. Joined in early 2013.

Any feed back on the special magnum bottles? I have a couple I have not opened. Is that an allocated item or available to all on the list? Any guesses on how long to let those cellar before drinking?

In for three each Cailloux and GOK, plus one of the Wallah mags. I wish-listed some of the other Syrah (Armada, Bionic Frog), but that’s it. I chuckled when I clicked on, “Pick up April 3 and 4, 2020.” Futures ordering is always a weird experience.

Like you, Ryan, I haven’t opened any of mine. From what I know, it’s an allocation thing, but that could be wrong. You can “wish list” it too, so that’s what makes me think it’s allocated.

My one remaining list and I’m happily taking my allotment again this year. Getting to a point where I can revisit some of these wines with some age and scrutinize whether to continue with certain bottling’s or drop and request something else. Currently receiving the following:
-Armada
-G.O.K.
-Cailloux
-Camaspelo
-Impulsivo
-Bionic Frog
-Widowmaker
-Wallah Wallah Special Mag

Really the only bottling I’m lusting after is Flying Pig at this point. I’ve been on the list since the 2009 vintage and received wishlist requests most years and have only dropped Edith out of what I have been offered.

I can’t claim to know anything about the inner workings of their system. But I got Bionic Frog after consistently buying only a couple of 3-packs a year (mostly Cailloux) and wishlisting the Frog every year. At least back when I got in, it did not seem to be necessary to buy large volumes to get Bionic Frog.

This year I will probably just do Cailloux and Frog, but I haven’t decided yet.

Has anyone recently opened any 10, 11, or 12 Syrahs? Curious how they are drinking? What’s the oldest Cayuse Syrah you’ve tasted?

I have had the 11s, which were drinking really well (though that is a colder vintage). I recently opened an 07 En Cerise and En Chamberlin, and an 06 Flying Pig. They were all drinking really well. I think the 07 En Cerise was the best of them, but they were all quite good. I have had back to 2000 with Cayuse, but have not checked into those in a while. I had a 03 Camaspelo back in March this year – my notes said it was good but not amazing. I also had an 03 Armada back in February. This had been one of my favorite bottles, but did not show well then – so hard to know if that is age or just bottle variation. You can look at my tasting notes, and back in last November we (the Seattle tasting group) did a tasting of 2008 and 2011 Cayuse syrahs. I am curious to open some of the older syrahs I have to see how they are faring. I tend to like wines with age, but not sure how well these will do. If I open some in the next few weeks I will post here and let you know! (Oh and I am Slye over at CT.)

Thank you Ron, I appreciate your response. I will look up your TN here and on CT. I love his wines but, I don’t have many with real age all less than 10 years old. I am curious how they age? Do they become more Rhone like or more California Syrah in style?

Oldest one I’ve had was the 07 Cailloux this past March. It was excellent, and in its prime drink window, I believe. I do tend to prefer my wines with a good amount of age on them, so that one struck me as a short-to-medium term ager.

A 13 Armada was surprisingly accessible back in March of 2017 with lots of air — a truly pleasant experience, but best to wait a few more years.

Had an ‘09 En Chamberlin in May that was drinkimg splendidly from the pop of the cork. Beautiful fruit/funk balance. Perhaps a little more elegant than in its youth but not dramatically different.